It has been a special year, rather influenced by the merger. We have set high aims for NMBU. Society has high expectations of us, and we have equally high expectations ourselves. Quality in everything we do is what counts, and we put great efforts into achieving success.

Even in a challenging first year of merger, NMBU can present strong academic results. Together we have placed NMBU on the map and have taken an increasingly strong position internationally as well as nationally.

During this first year, we have seen great initiatives of cooperation across old institutional borders. Amongst other successes, we now have both a Centre of Excellence, CERAD, and a brand new Centre for Research-Driven Innovation, Foods of Norway, both involving researchers across departments, faculties and campuses. We are also very happy to see a joint student community emerging cross campuses.

At the same time, it is undeniable that merging institutions is demanding. It is costly both in terms of money and in terms of efforts. For most of us, it has meant changes in our everyday life at work, changes in systems, organization, routines, culture and sense of belonging, to mention a few things.

Moreover, with every new thing comes start-up problems, small and sometimes not so small things that are not working according to plan and lots of questions and sometimes frustration. It is challenging to be located at two different campuses, and we have to find good solutions providing good services to the whole university independent of where people work.

We are truly impressed by the efforts made by all of you to get NMBU up and running. We have witnessed a vast amount of patience and good will in the past year.

We take all the good things that we stood for throughout our long history at Adamstuen and Ås with us and strengthen it in NMBU. It is a privilege to be part of creating a new university and developing something even stronger together.

Thank you so much for all your efforts in 2014. We wish you all the best for the Holidays and a very well deserved vacation.